ABSTRACT
This study investigated the academic performance of boarders and day students in Benin metropolis of Nigeria. The purpose of the study was to undertake analysis of academic performance of boarding and day students in Benin metropolis of Nigeria: implications for counselling specifically the study sought to investigate whether academic performance is higher among boarders than day students in Benin metropolis of Nigeria, investigate sex difference in performance of both boarding and day students. Investigate whether male boarding differs from male day student in academic performance and in addition the study sought to investigate whether female boarding differ from female day students in academic performance.
The study employed the descriptive research design. Thus 530 boarding 850 day students in Benin Metropolis of Nigeria and 274 were randomly sampled from a population 1380. To guide the study seven research questions and five hypotheses were raised and formulated respectively. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistic which involved mean, frequencies, t-test and simple percentage.
The analysis yielded the following findings among others: that boarding students perform better in English language and mathematics than day; and male day students perform better than female day students in mathematics. However, there is no significant different in performance in English language between male and female day students; and female boarding performed better than their males counterparts in both English language and mathematics; male students in boarding schools performed better in both English language and mathematics than males day students., and female students in boarding schools performed significantly better in both English language and mathematics than their female day students.
These findings were discussed and it was recommended among others, that all relevant stakeholders – parents, teachers, government and school counsellors should take special interest in encourage boarding school for both sexes; that there should adequate parental involvement in the academic activities of day students by ensuring proper study reading pattern in the children and equally monitor their activities and the kind of friends they keep. Boarding school is recommended to parents who can afford it. The school counsellors should try to focus more on day students by way of strengthening the academic activities.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTON
Background to the Study No nation can develop despite of its natural endowment if such nation does not take seriously human capital development which could be derived through sound academic foundation that is tailored towards performance in the secondary schools. The Nigerian society places great emphasis on education because it is believed to be the only avenue for national development. However, this can only be achieved if students who are in boarding and day schools in the citadel of learning get actively involved in academic activities which will enhance their academic performance. This will, in turn, lead to the technological advancement of the nation.
In many countries of the world education is viewed as a good investment for national development. Education in Nigeria is an instrument ‘’per excellence’’ for effecting national development, which is highly valued because it is a system expected to produce qualitative and quantitative human resource, required for any nation’s economic growth by using the right mix of input Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN,2004). On the strength of the above new research which proves that contemporary boarding schools serve a diverse body of motivated and well-rounded students who study and live in supportive, inclusive academic communities where they learn about independence, responsibility and traditional values that help them achieve success at higher rates than private and public day schools students in the classroom and beyond.
Boarding schools generally have small class sizes that help teachers engage every student in the classroom, whose settings are often specifically designed to encourage student participation and eye contact among everyone in class. Desarrollo (2007) Boarding Schools promote socialisation and mainstreaming of poor minority children, as children from remote and rural areas or of ethnic and linguistic minorities can be introduced to new ways of living, routines, responsibilities, technologies, teachers and fellow students from outside their community.
Boarding schools are self-contained communities. Students and faculty eat together. They share relaxing times watching TV and playing games together. This is because teachers and staff in a boarding school function in place of parents. They take the place of parents literally and figuratively. They play a powerful role in shaping and guiding their young charges while they are at school. Because the students are not allowed to go home at the end of classes, they cannot avoid the strong influence teachers have on them. This is a major reason many parents send their sons and daughters off to boarding school.
In a boarding school students can develop skills that can serve them to live in a broader community. Learning and living together with other students, boarding offer students a good opportunity to help each other with their studies during and after school hours; cooperate and respect other people’s habits and values; develop social and communication skills through interaction with other students and staff.
UNESCO (2010) opted that Boarding schools provide a centralized location for learning and living that can be an effective link between the remote communities of origin and the larger society. Most of the boarding students read regularly because they have scheduled time for reading in their curriculum, they sometimes use library and library books. Independence, self-confidence and responsibility, are the characteristics of persons who have been to a boarding school, as they rely less on their parents.
Boarding schools offer structure and discipline; as they are obligated to study according to a structured program during and after school hours; learn to respect rules, conduct duties on time, go to bed on time and rise up early. Lack of discipline and lateness to school is also a negative characteristic of day-school, as students and teachers have less regards for rules and are less responsible, as they are more irregular and less punctual at school.
Overcrowding in dormitories in boarding schools sometimes double the originally intended number of students being accommodated. The problems faced by boarding students included overcrowding in the students’ hostels, many boarding school meals are frequently badly managed or badly prepared, beside the inadequacy of the diet, scarcity of water, noise from class or neighbouring classes. Other problems include lack of good lighting system, interference from friends in the same or other classes and disturbances from non human activities like mosquitoes. Despite those problems, an average boarding student enjoys living and studying conditions, which are luxurious, compared to the hardship and squalor endured by many day students.
Academics at boarding schools operate at high standards, as students are pushed to “ask why,” thus becoming inquisitive and this enables them tackle challenging problems. Course selections at boarding schools tend to be quite diverse, have plenty of academic performance (AP) options, and offer a wide range of topics. Athletic and extracurricular options tend to be broad thus encouraging students to try new things. Many boarding schools also offer opportunities to study short term courses in different countries, with counselling departments which are generally well-staffed. Counsellors often have plenty of experience in helping students identify appropriate schools and advising them on getting admission into competitive institutions. Another situation that leads to preference for boarding schools is the case of semi-orphans or lack of good parental care for the children.